Marin Civic Center traffic safety studied amid pedestrian death

County leaders are set to consider a sweeping plan for safety, pedestrian and other improvements at the northern entrance to the Civic Center campus that could help prevent collisions such as the one this week that killed a 79-year-old man crossing the street near the farmers market.

The improvement program, coincidentally up for review by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning, includes plans for a "roundabout" traffic circle near Civic Center, Memorial and Peter Behr drives, near the spot Jurgen Traub was killed at 10 a.m. Thursday when he was hit by a plumbing van.

"It's unfortunate these changes were not in place before the tragedy," Supervisor Susan Adams said. "A roundabout calms traffic and allows access for pedestrians," she noted. "It will improve safety."

San Rafael police spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher said Friday there was no new information to report on Traub's death. She said the name of the driver, a 38-year-old Napa resident, is being withheld until the investigation is complete and police determine whether the driver was at fault.

"All the analysis and measurements and all the things that go into a major accident investigation are still going on," Rohrbacher said. "These cases are much more involved and detailed."

Because a detailed investigation of how the accident occurred has not been completed, it would be speculative to say what would have happened if a traffic roundabout was in place in the area, said Pat Echols, county principal civil engineer. But in any case, a roundabout would be a "significant safety improvement" since the configuration by its nature requires vehicles to slow down, he added.

Ideas developed by consultants, then revised after a series of reviews by a variety of agencies, committees and commissions, call for design improvements along north Civic Center Drive near the Marin Veterans Memorial Building. The plan includes pedestrian and bicycle facilities that link a new SMART train station to a paved farmers market site on the "Christmas tree" parking lot, along with landscaping, signs and lighting.

A roundabout configuration would ease traffic flow near the entry to the county auditorium parking lot, where Civic Center, Memorial and Peter Behr drives intersect.

At Tuesday's session, scheduled months ago by the county, officials will review the latest version of the plan following reviews by the San Rafael City Council, city Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Frank Lloyd Wright Civic Center Conservancy, county Cultural Services Commission, the Agricultural Institute of Marin, train and county transit districts as well as local residents.

Echols said primary goals of the program "are to integrate bicycle and pedestrian connections, improve Civic Center Drive circulation and traffic safety and create a sense of scale and welcoming to the Civic Center campus."

The project now includes separate bicycle and pedestrian paths along the west side of Civic Center Drive. "The preferred concept plan includes provisions for new sidewalks, class 2 bike lanes, a two-way bicycle path, landscaping, a roundabout at Peter Behr Drive, enhanced pedestrian safety improvements and improved bus transit stops," Echols said in a report to the county board.

"County and city staff have concluded that a roundabout is the preferred intersection improvement," Echols said. "Bike lanes are also proposed in both directions along Civic Center Drive," he added. "A new two-way bicycle path is proposed ... along the west side of Civic Center Drive. Landscaping buffers will be provided."

The county has a deal with the Agricultural Institute of Marin, operator of the Sunday and Thursday farmers markets, in which the institute pledges up to $1 million to move to the Christmas tree lot after paving it and constructing bathrooms. The county would provide $1 million as well.

All that is needed now, Echols said, is board approval of the concept so that environmental analysis can proceed along with design refinements.

The preliminary design of the ambitious makeover was developed by Harris and Associates of Concord for $451,000. Final design work, related studies and construction costs are expected to bring the total tab to roughly $2.8 million. The county board has allocated $2 million for the project and has received a $650,000 federal grant as well.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday to discuss traffic improvements along Civic Center Drive. The meeting is in the supervisors' chambers at the Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive in San Rafael.